Nightmare
by Sleepingbadgr
Summary: A mysterious house lies deep in the forest. Rarely do cats stumble upon it. When they do they have two choices, enter it or to walk away, never to come back to it. What mysteries are hidden inside these walls? Only one way to find out...
1. Prologue

_Hi guys! This is my first attempt at writing a professional-like story. I put a lot of time and effort into this so far and I will continue to work on it in the future. I would love some feedback from you guys so I can continue to improve my stories and make them more enjoyable to read. I hope you enjoy!_

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><p>It was a dark and stormy night in the forest. The rain poured down heavily through the leaves, drenching everything for miles around. All the prey had burrowed into their warm nests, waiting the worst of the storm out. A small cat pushed his way through the undergrowth. His dark grey pelt was flattened against his body, exposing his ribs, as he padded aimlessly through the forest in search of shelter for the night.<p>

The cat had been wandering around for what had seemed like hours before he finally stopped. His gaze traveled up and down an abandoned looking twoleg nest '_I doubt this place has been used in moons. Hopefully nothing lives here still_' He thought hopefully as he scented the air. He couldn't scent anything through the rain so he padded up to the rundown house '_This will be a decent place to spend the night. It's better than most other shelters I've had_'. The cat slowly padded through the open door and gazed around the house.

The house wasn't in too bad of condition. The furniture was old, but the strange thing about it is that it looked like it had been recently cleaned. He didn't think much about it at the time as he looked around for a comfortable place to sleep. He spotted a twoleg couch at the end of the room '_Looks comfortable enough_'. He started to head over to it, his tail drooping in exhaustion, when he heard a loud slam behind him. The cat's head whipped around to see what had made the noise. The door that he had entered through was shut. He felt a bit unnerved as he continued further into the house, ditching the idea of spending the night here '_There has to be another way out of here,_' He thought as he padded to the other end of the room. He stopped at the end of the hall and looked around for another door.

He noticed a large door looming in front of him that he hadn't noticed before '_When had that gotten there? This darkness must be playing tricks on me,_' He thought, trying his best to believe that it was true. He pushed roughly on the cracked door and it slowly creaked open enough for him to squeeze through.

This room was less inviting than the others.

There was a faint dripping noise inside and he could scent the much familiar scent of blood 'Cat blood' He thought nervously. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he noticed a body lying limply in the middle of the room. He started to rush over to it to see if the cat was alive or not. When he had nearly reached the cat a weight slammed heavily into his side. His legs collapsed as he struggled against the force, his legs flailing wildly. It felt as if the shadows themselves were pinning him down. He turned his head as much as he could, trying to see what had pinned him down, only to see the cat that looked so dead before had sat up and turned it's head to face him. The demented smile it gave him sent shivers down his spine. He struggled against the force holding him down as the cats dark and unblinking gaze pierced his fur. The cat stood up and began to pad toward him, blood dripping down its face. His fear had enveloped him by this point and he struggled blindly against the weight on top of him until the ground beneath him seemed to melt away and he was left falling into the darkness around him.


	2. A New Beginning

_Hi guys! I finally finished the next chapter to the story. I hope this chapter is better then the last! I am planning on uploading a new chapter every Friday. For now, hope you enjoy this story and hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your family!_

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><p>Bright, warm sunshine flooded the den as Dawn blinked his tired eyes open. He looked sleepily around the den, which was a small cave just big enough to hold the family. He noticed that his mother and littermates were gone already. He quickly heaved himself to his paws and stretched before padding outside, the warm sunshine washing over his dark bluish-grey pelt. Dawn blinked a couple times, his eyes adjusting to the morning light. He spotted his brother Spark, and his sister Honey play fighting nearby with their mother Snow, gazing at them lovingly, but protectively.<p>

"Hey Dawn's awake!" Spark let out a delighted squeal as he looked at Dawn lumbering out of the den "Come join us!" He called happily as he pulled himself away from his sister.

Dawn padded up to his littermates eagerly "What are you guys playing?" He yawned while his eyes shone with excitement.

"Were playing badger," Spark started before Honey interrupted him.

"I vote Dawn to be it!" She exclaimed, shoving past Spark.

Dawn battered her side lightly "I'm always the badger!"

Spark stepped forward "I'll be it," He told his littermates. Dawn nodded in agreement and watched Spark lumber forward menacingly. He had his fur all fluffed up, making him look a lot bigger and tougher than he actually was. His eyes darted from Dawn to Honey as they prepared their attack. Honey began to crawl towards Spark's side as Dawn headed for his front paws. When Spark took his eyes away from Dawn, he pushed his paws off the ground as he slammed into Spark's paws with Honey attacking from the other side. Together they managed to wrestle Spark to the ground and stood triumphantly over him "Ha! I killed the badger!" Honey laughed "I am the strongest cat ever!".

Dawn gave her a playful shove "I did most of the work," he claimed.

As the kits argued about who was the strongest, Snow purred and padded over to them."You guys seem hungry," She stated when Honey's stomach growled "Want to learn how to catch prey?"

All three of the kits bounced up in excitement "Do you really mean it?" Honey chirped, forgetting her argument with Dawn.

"Of course I mean it. Now come on," she called as she bounded off into the woods, checking every once in a while to make sure her kits weren't too far behind. She found her way easily through the lush undergrowth, stopping occasionally to let the others catch up. Once when there was a large log in the middle of their path she had to stop and help them over it.

When the sun was well over their heads they stopped underneath an old oak tree. Snow gave them a moment to catch their breaths before starting to explain how to hunt "The most useful tool of a hunter is your nose. Tell me what you can smell Dawn."

Dawn closed his eyes and scented the air "I smell," he paused for a moment "mouse!" His tail swung back and forth excitedly as he began to pad forward.

"Not so fast," Honey meowed blocking Dawns path with her tail "You need to know how to properly hunt. Otherwise you wont catch anything. Honey, show me a hunter's crouch." She watched as Honey dropped into a crouch "Keep your tail off the ground. You don't want to alert the prey of your presence. Like this"

After a short while, all three kits had gotten the crouch down. Snow padded up to them "Time to see if you guys can catch something. Don't go too far and when you're done meet back here."

The kits all darted in different directions excitedly. Dawn stopped a short distance away and scented the air. The mouse he had smelled earlier hadn't gone far. He dropped into the crouch he had just learned and silently crept through the thick undergrowth. He spotted the small creature nibbling on some seeds at the bottom of a tree. When he was a few tail lengths away from the mouse, its head jolted up. Dawn realized it had scented him and before it could run back to its hole, he leaped. He snapped its neck quickly and stood up happily, the limp creature hanging from his mouth.

Dawn was about to head back when he spotted something behind a copse. Curiously, he padded past the trees and stopped when he saw what it was. A large twoleg house stood in front of him. The walls of the house were covered with cracks that spread like lightning in the sky. Some plants were clinging to the walls as if claiming it as the forests territory. He padded up to it and was about to head through the open door when the taste of mouse reminded him that he had to go back so they could eat together.

With his back turned to the house, he slowly padded back towards the meeting place. When he arrived the others were already there waiting for him. Honey had returned with a squirrel about twice her size while Spark had caught a small water vole at the river nearby. Honey complimented them on their catches and revealed the finch she had hunted. They all settled down and began to take hungry bites out of their meal. When they had finished they talked about how their first hunt had been. Dawn had left out the part with the twoleg nest from his story.

After a while, Snow pushed herself to her paws "We should head back to the den. It's almost night," She meowed before ushering her kits towards the den. When Dawn entered the den, Snow was already curled up in their nest. She let the kits curl up next to her.

Honey let out a slight yawn "Tell us a story," She asked, her eyelids beginning to droop.

"Alright. I'll tell you how I met your father. I had been a wandering rouge who had been kicked out of every place I had tried to settle. One day I found a nice spot to settle down in a forest far from here. I had began to make a nest in a hole under a large tree when a cat landed on my back, knocking me to the ground. I struggled against the cat, but he managed to keep me pinned to the ground. A few moments later I heard some more cats pad up to me and I started to panic. I could feel the first cats breath as he growled in my ear 'Who are you and why are you on Oakclan territory?' I managed to stammer something and another cat began to speak 'We should take her to see Birchstar.' The other cats agreed and forced me to my paws. I turned around to see the cats and guess who the one who pinned me was?" Snow asked, a purr in her throat.

Spark lifted his head "Our father?"

"Correct. At the time he was the deputy of Birchclan. It was a nice place and the cats of the clan were nice once you got to know them. When they brought me to the camp, a large and muscular tom padded up to me. He said that his name was Birchstar. He asked me the same kinds of questions that i had been asked earlier in the forest. Eventually he offered me a spot in the clan. I was taken aback at the offer and so were the others. I had been happy to accept, knowing I could finally settle down once and for all."

Dawn laid his head down on his paws. He shut his eyes and began to drift off to sleep "What happened then?" He heard Honey ask.

As Snow spoke, Dawn let sleep wash over him and Snow licked the top of his head gently before continuing to speak "Well you would think your father would have been nice to me when I joined, but…."


	3. The Dream

_Hey guys! I finally got this chapter finished. This chapter was harder to write then the others. That's because I tried to fit a small time period into a whole chapter. Overall I think it came out pretty well. Hope you guys enjoy it and I'll appreciate it if you guys leave a comment so I know if you guys like it too!_

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><p>Water rushed down the rocky riverbed as it continued the never ending flow of water. Birds chirped happily while mice, voles, and other creatures enjoyed the beautiful day. Two cats sat on the shore, looking over the scene presented in front of them. They didn't even react when a mouse crawled up to them and scented them before continuing to scurry around for food.<p>

Dawn whisked through the forest towards the river. When the leaves parted, he spotted his littermates at the shore. His legs lifted up and back down again as he ran towards the two cats, calling their names excitedly. The pebbles on the ground flying up around him as he neared them.

Then he stopped.

He blinked a couple of times before calling them again "Spark! Honey!" He slowly took a step forward, uneasiness starting to fill his belly "Guys?" As they turned around, he almost jumped out of his pelt. The faces of the cats he loved had disappeared. He staggered backwards in fear "W-What is going on here?" He asked panic stricken.

Even without mouths they managed to reply to him "Join us."

That was their only reply. As they padded closer to Dawn, still repeating the mysterious words, which seemed to have a deeper meaning then Dawn could make out, he turned around and began to run back into the forest. Leaves and branches whipper across his face as he ran blindly through the forest. He couldn't hear the sounds of pursuit, but the voices still rang throughout his head "Join us."

A small ditch caught Dawn's foot and he collapsed to the ground. He quickly clambered to his paws. Instead of running again, he just sat there dumbfounded as he found himself back, yet again at the abandoned house he had found during his hunt. Bright red eyes peered out of the open doorway and stared directly at him. He stared back at them. The fear that had previously taken its hold on him had been replaced with something he couldn't distinguish. His mind raced as questions appeared out of nowhere and bounced around inside his head. Who was in the house? Why did they seem to be waiting for him? Why did he feel a sensation he couldn't quite place?

All he had was questions. No answers. No hints. Just questions. His heart started to beat faster with each unanswered question. As he continued to stare back at the unblinking eyes, all seemed to go dark around him. The next thing he knew, he was sitting up in his nest, curled up with his littermates. He quietly stood up and headed towards the exit. Right before he took a step outside, a familiar voice called to him "Dawn? Is that you?"

He turned around to face his brother "Yes. Sorry if I woke you," He apologized.

"No worry. I was having trouble sleeping anyway. Same with Honey," He commented as Honey let out a yawn and padded over to them, making sure not to wake Snow.

"Where are you going Dawn?"

"I don't really know. The other day during our hunt something strange was there. I had found an old twoleg house. I didn't think much about it at the time, but it feels like it's summoning me. In my dreams, my thoughts, even right now," He replied, staring into the forest in the direction of the structure.

Spark nodded while Honey just rolled her eyes "Houses don't "summon" you. It's just a house. But I had seen a strange house that I hadn't seen before in my dream. I had been following you guys, trying to talk to you when I found it."

Spark looked thoughtful for a moment "My dream was similar to that. We had been playing, but then you guys disappeared. I went looking for you. The only thing I found was that house. Is this a coincidence?"

"I don't know. Either way, I'm going to check it out," Dawn meowed before taking a couple steps.

His littermates padded after him "Were coming with you."

Honey hesitated "What about Snow?"

Spark looked back at the den, then at Honey "We won't be gone long. Now lets go before she wakes up."

A slight breeze filled the night air as the three of them padded silently, yet quickly into the woods. With Dawn in the lead, they headed in the direction of the house. They didn't say a word during their journey through the forest. Each of them lost in their own thoughts. Eventually the trees parted and they began to slow down. Tall trees surrounded the rickety old house. The three of them stood at the edge of the trees, reluctant to get any closer.

Honey shuffled her paws nervously "This seems close enough. Lets just head back," She tried to persuade them. Dawn shook his head.

"I have to find out what's in that house, whether you're coming or not," He meowed, taking a few tentative steps toward the house. The earlier breeze had disappeared and everything was silent. This unnerved him, but he fought against fear and padded up the staircase. As he stood there, looking through the open door into the darkness that encased the house, he heard a series of pawsteps as Spark and Honey caught up to him.

"This doesn't feel right," Spark muttered uncomfortably.

Dawn gazed back at him "It's just a house. We'll be in and out in a matter of minutes," He tried to reassure the others, but really he was trying to reassure himself. Slowly he took a deep breath and plunged into the darkness of the house.


	4. An Adventurers Nightmare

_Hey guys! It's been a while since I have done anything on this story. For a while I just abandoned this story, but now I am back and continuing to work on it. I spent a good hour writing this chapter and hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do. As always, please leave a comment so I know whether you liked this chapter and all criticism is welcome. _

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><p>A small strip of moonlight filled the doorway to the house. Pawsteps filled the house as the three newcomers dared to enter the eerie house. The cold night air seeped into the house and enveloped the house, sending shivers down the cats spines. Hanging from the ceiling and walls was clumps of spiderwebs. Invisible eyes peered through the darkness at them. The ice cold gaze hung to the cats, like glue to a piece of paper.<p>

_It's been forever since we had company. This shall be fun._ A maniacal laugh echoed through the long corridors. The cat slowly padded up to the cats, covered in the darkness. He began to circle the small group. Every once in a while he would stand right next to them, even brushing fur at times. They never paid any attention to him _They don't even know I'm here. To them, I am just a shadow, a figure of the night. All just tales mothers tell their kits. Too bad no one ever believed the tales…_

Dawn looked at the sight that was laid before him, a dusty, yet neat house. His earlier determination to discover what mysteries the house held was quickly dissolved inside the house. He jumped when he felt fur brush his side, but quickly realized it was just his littermates beside him. He continued to pad into the darkness. A chill suddenly went down his spine as he looked around. He was about to head back to the exit and end the adventure when the small bit of moonlight that had filled the house disappeared. It took him a minute to adjust to the darkness, making out the shape of the now closed door that they had entered through. All was still as Dawn listened to the shallow breathing of him and his littermates, a few mice scurrying around on the ground. There was something else, much quieter, but still audible _What is that? _He decided to ignore it and just focus on finding another way out.

He made sure Honey and Spark were following before taking a few tentative steps. After what felt like forever they finally found something other than the straight hallway they had been in. They gazed upwards, following the path of the staircase in front of them.

"We don't want to go up. We need to find a way out, and that wouldn't be up higher," Spark meowed impatiently.

"We don't have much of a choice," Dawn whimpered as he noticed the straight hallway behind them had turned into a dead end.

"Why did I let you talk me into coming!" Honey complained "I told you we shouldn't have left. Look at what it's gotten us into!"

"And you think standing here all day complaining will help? Now lets get moving," Dawn grumbled before climbing up the first couple of steps. He looked back and saw his littermates exchange worried glances before following Dawn. The white wooden railing next to them had been broken at several parts, leaving gaps where cats could easily fall off if they weren't careful. When they reached the top, they were greeted with another hallway, but much different from the first one. the left side was filled with windows, revealing heavy raindrops splattering against the cracked glass. The other side had multiple wooden doors and wool banners with pictures of things unknown to them.

A sudden flash of lightning burst through the dusty air. Honey let out a yelp of fear as the entire hallway was filled with light. The flash only lasted about a second and soon they were back in near pitch black darkness. The faint rumble of thunder echoed throughout the old house. Honey had pressed herself against the wall and stood there, staring into nothing. Dawn and Spark had walked a few steps before realizing she wasn't following "Honey, come on. We need to keep moving," He meowed, trying to hide the fear in his voice.

"I can't go any farther. I _won't _go any farther," She meowed, her eyes wide and filled with fear "We never should have come here. Now we're all going to die here,"

"Nonsense!" Dawn began "If we keep moving we'll find a" His voice trailed off.

"What's wrong?" Spark meowed hastily. He was about to speak again when Dawn raised his tail for silence.

"Hear that? It sounds kinda like," Dawn's eyes opened wide in horror "Pawsteps! Something is coming!" A deep growl sounded from the direction of the staircase. Dawn and Spark began to run, but turned around quickly "Honey! Come on! Get over here!" He meowed urgently. Honey was still firmly planted against the wall. She glanced around nervously before breaking into a run towards them. She reached them quickly, but halted again as a loud cracking sound erupted from beneath them. Honey let out a shocked yowl as Dawn shoved her away from him and Spark. As she got to her paws the ground beneath the two toms gave way and they were left falling into the darkness. She let out a whimper of fear as her littermates disappeared, but it was soon inaudible as a loud growl sounded from right behind her.


End file.
